The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to an electronic price label (EPL) scheduled price verification system and method.
In a traditional retail store, bar code scanners rely on price information maintained within a price-lookup (PLU) file. The PLU data file is typically stored in a single location at host server.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for each merchandise item in a store. EPLs display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. The EPL data file contains EPL identification information and EPL merchandise item information.
A server, either within a store or outside the store, sends price changes to EPLs. This server is typically a price look-up (PLU) file server. Scheduling and transmission of price change messages must occur without error in order to ensure that correct prices are displayed by EPLs associated with scheduled items. This is especially true during special promotions or "sales". A PLU file typically includes a start time, end time, and special price for each specially promoted item.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an EPL scheduled price verification system and method that can verify that a scheduled price change message for a specially promoted item has been transmitted to an EPL. It would also be desirable to provide an EPL scheduled price verification system and method that can verify that a new price for an item has been scheduled and transmitted to an EPL when the new price is known in advance.